Apparatus for preserving by vacuum.



J. R. WERTH. APPARATUS FUR PRESERVING BY VACUUM.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 6, |912.

Patented July 6, 1915.

LV VIEJV TOI? JAMES R. WER-TH, OF RICHMOND, VIRGINIA.

APPARATUS FOR PRESERVING BY VACUUM.

Application filed September 6, 1912.

T0 allie/10m it m aj/ concern Be it known that I JAMES R. IVERTH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Richmond, in the county of Henrico and State of Virginia, have invented certain new and useful. Improvements in Apparatus for Preserving by Vacuum, of which the following is a specification.

In the drawings-1f`igure 1 is a front elevation of my improved apparatus; Fig. 2 is a similar view of a slightly modified cmbodiment; Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional view of the table and its resilient packing.

My invention relates to improved means for preserving food and other substances after being properly prepared.

The process carried out by the use of my improved apparatus is an improvement on those generally adopted bythe farmers wife, where the food is cooked in containers having safety valve covers, partially immersed in boiling water in ordinary clothes boilers and where the contents ai'e cooked for one to one and a half hours for three consecutive days, as fully described in Farmers Bulletin No. 359, U. S. Agricultural Department, `Washington, D. C.,while in the interveningT periods of cooling, vacuums are formed and air is drawn from the substance in the container and by the final boiling and condensation of steam, a rarefying of the remaining air is accomplished, and the food indefinitely preserved*a safe process but tedious.

he improvements offered by my invention are obviously simpler, safer. less laborious and more economical in fuel.

rIhe process carried out with my apparatus advocates one cooking, and the removal of air from the containers and their contents, after cooling, by pumping, also the automatic sealing of the container in, Tacito. This is an advance o n expelling air by heat and securing a vacuum by the condensation of steam. In this process the lowest heat necessary to devitalize germs and to break down the air cells in the food within the shortest period is employed, thus minimizing the risk of over cooking, and of losing the volatile oils which furnish the fiavors.`

The invention is useful, the cost of the apparatus is modeiatc, and the operation simple. It can be used 1n the home and' in the country canning clubs, the food being prepared at home on the kitchen stove and when cooled taken to the club house and Specification of Letters Patent.

Pateiiited July 6, i915. Serial No. 718,909.

finished. It also can be used to preserve sterilized fruit juices, the aromas of coffee, tobacco, fiavoring extracts, spices, condiments andpasteurized milk.

In order to make effective this process. I have invented an apparatus shown in the drawings.

The reference numeral 1 designates a pump, 2 a vacuum regulator, 3 a vacuum chamber and t a container. The air pump 1 shown is an ordinary well pump capable of lifting water twenty-six feet, but I do not limit my claim to this, as any approved pump may be used. In this process any kind of pump and any power may be used. The tension regulator Q is provided with a relief valve 5 which can he set to admit air when the tension exceeds that which is found to be desii'ablc in the treatment of different substances.

6 is a three-way cock for controlling the movement of air into and out of vacuum chamber 3.

7 is a plate on which is fastened the gum seat 8.

9 is a clamp to hold the gum seat in place, and 10 is a stool on which the container rests. permitting easy egress and ingress of air into and out of the chamber 3 under and around the container 4.

13 is a vacuum chamber into which many containers may be placed for treatment at one time without limit as to capacity. The top cover 14 of the vacuum chamber 13 may be of any approved construction.

15 is a cap or closure for the top of the chamber which may be of any approved construction.

The apparatus may be readily cleaned and sterilized by filling the air pipes with scalding water and a germicide and pumping out the same.

As will be seen from the drawings. the pump 1 is connected to a pipe 16 from which are branches 17 and 18; the branch 18 being connected with the vacuum chamber and provided with a three-way cock, while the branch 17 is connected to the tension regulator 2.

I do not claim the improved container in this application. as thereof are made the subject matter of claims in another case.

I claim:

An apparatus for sealing receptacles by vacuum, having a fixed flat bottom and a rethe essential featuresv lily.)

lio

movable hood` together forming a vacuum chamber, said bottom Comprising' a solid hase, a packing conforming in shape to said base and a retaining member foi' said packing to the basenl said retaining member engaging with the edge of said hood. to guide it transversely when the hood stands in position on said packing; a raised fiat stool forming a receptacle seat within "l l#aid retaining member; sai@ base, packing holding 

